Forget It
by Cassandra Mulder
Summary: Clark could even find a way to shatter peace on Earth.


**Title: **Forget It  
**Author: **Cassandra Mulder  
**Rating: **PG  
**Spoilers: **Season 5, through "Lexmas"  
**Classification: **Smallville; Chlark; angst  
**Disclaimer: **Not mine, so poor, don't sue.  
**Written: **December 7 - 30, 2005  
**Word Count: **1626  
**Summary: **Clark could even find a way to shatter peace on Earth.  
**A/N: **Um, this isn't so much fluff as pretty messy angst. : When you want the muse to cooperate... Oh well. I haven't done anything but fluff for awhile, so I hope this turned out all right. Although they stand alone, it can fit in with "Thankful", and there will probably be a New Year's sequel to this one, though it might come in a little past New Year's. ;) Feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

* * *

She knew the evening never should have gone in the direction it did. He knew it, too.

It had all started innocently enough. Chloe had stayed to help clean up after the Christmas party, even though she knew Clark was more than capable of having the task finished in mere seconds.

The Christmas spirit and the camaraderie had gotten the best of her, and she had offered to stay. He had accepted gratefully, no doubt thinking it was the least she could do after she had asked him to play Santa.

Not that he had minded. People in need were his thing, no matter how hard he had tried to fight it.

Things had been going smoothly when she found herself standing underneath some mistletoe Mrs. Kent had tacked up at the doorway of the kitchen. Clark brushed by her and noticed her position only seconds after she did.

She blushed and looked down at the floor. Looking back up at him, she said, "It's just... You don't have to... It's silly."

She wanted out of the situation as fast as possible. A lot of people would have thought she maneuvered herself into it in the first place, but it was the last thing she would have done. She felt ridiculous enough doing it on accident.

There was no accusation in Clark's eyes when he shrugged and said, "It's tradition. No big deal."

_Like hell it isn't_, she thought to herself as he moved closer. She closed her eyes, trying to think of all the excuses this shouldn't even remotely be _thought_ of, much less done. By the time she opened them, it was too late.

His lips descended on hers, gently at first, and she didn't respond for a split second. No big deal, just like he had said.

Then something else took control, and before she knew what was happening he had her pressed against the door frame. Her arms went around his neck, and she felt his hands on the skin of her back. She moaned involuntarily, and even though a part of her _knew_ that it shouldn't be happening, it was taken over by everything she was feeling. When Clark deepened the kiss it did nothing to bring her to her senses.

Chloe's eyes flew open when he moved from her lips to her neck, and her hands went to his shoulders. She pushed him away, trying to steady her breathing.

Clark looked like he had just snapped out of some sort of possession, and for a moment she couldn't even find her voice.

"What the _hell_, Clark?" she said, finally. Realizing she had probably been a little too loud with his parents right upstairs, she lowered it. "Are you handing out torture for Christmas?" She wrapped her arms around herself, definitely feeling the loss of warmth where his had been.

Clark gaped at her, and she gave a strangled laugh. It was all she could do not to cry.

"Don't look at me like this is my fault," she said with all the disbelief she could muster.

"I - I don't -" He was stuttering.

_How very typical of him_, she thought, waiting for him to regain words.

"I don't know how that happened," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, well then. I'm already at least one step ahead of you. I know _how_ it happened." She glared at him. "But I can't say that I know why."

"I don't either."

"That's helpful," she said angrily, turning and storming into the living room. A fire was still roaring in the fireplace, and Shelby was parked in front of it, looking at her worriedly. She didn't know when the damn dog had gotten so attached to her, but at least that didn't take her by surprise, unlike his owner.

She searched frantically for her shawl, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from Clark Kent as humanly possible at one a.m. on Christmas Day.

"Are you looking for this?" she heard from behind her.

Chloe turned around to see Clark holding up her dark green shawl, and when she tried to snatch it away from him, he stuffed it behind his back.

"I'm not playing keep away with you, Clark. You have an unfair advantage."

"I've always been taller than you."

She started toward him. "And exceedingly obnoxious. You know that's not what I was talking about."

"Chloe, I'm sorry," he said, but she wasn't falling for that.

Falling had been her first mistake.

"Clark, I'm leaving, whether or not I leave here covered up or in a halter top."

"I don't think you can drive in this snow."

She resisted the urge to scream. "Well, I'm not staying here," she bit out. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I said I was sorry, I don't -"

"Yeah, you don't know what happened." Chloe rolled her eyes. "I think it's pretty damn obvious we were _making out in your kitchen_."

Mr. Pretend-Like-Nothing-Ever-Happened finally had the decency to look ashamed.

"You have a girlfriend."

He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. "No, really?"

"Just makin' sure," she said sarcastically. "I don't think Lana would have appreciated that scene much."

"I didn't mean for it to happen," Clark said lamely.

"Looked pretty deliberate to me," she shot back. Her skin was still tingling where his hands had been, and she still wasn't thinking as clearly as she would like.

He opened his mouth, but she shook her head and he closed it again.

"I don't want to hear it, really. Did you take classes on how to screw up a good thing, or does it just come naturally?"

"Comes naturally, I guess." He tossed her the shawl with a sigh. "Be careful."

"This can't end well, Clark," Chloe said, her anger draining away, leaving disappointment behind.

"End?" he said, confused.

"Figuratively. You know..." She took a deep breath. "You know how I feel about you. You can't pull this crap. You can_not_ do this to me."

"I'm sorry."

"That's not enough."

"I've just felt so close to you lately, and everything has changed so much this year. I'm not sure..." He paused, staring intently at his shoes. When he got his nerve up again, he looked at her. "I'm not sure what I thought I wanted is really what I want anymore."

"Oh dear God," she said in disbelief. "You remember I just said you can't do this to me? Well, you're _not_ doing this to me." She tossed down her purse and shawl. "I am not at the mercy of Clark Kent's wandering whims. It hasn't been all that long since I accepted we'll never be anything but best friends. How do you think you can just switch that up on me? On Lana, of all people! I watched you moon over her for_ever_. I'm not going to be the person that ends that."

"I didn't say you had to be. I'm just confused right now."

"You picked a great time to be confused. It's Christmas, Clark. This isn't exactly peace on earth, now is it?"

"We don't get peace, Chloe. At least, I don't."

"I'm not going to help you throw yourself a pity party. Life is hard; not just your life. The thing about you is that you have the power to make a difference. If pushing you to see that has somehow resulted in the urge to assault me, I'm sorry."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "I didn't assault you. I kissed you."

"Considering the unexpected nature of the situation, it's basically the same thing," Chloe said, dropping on the couch. "You're ridiculous," she said, staring up at him.

"I know."

"I guess that's something." She pushed her hair behind her ears, then draped her shawl across her lap. "Look, we should just forget this whole thing, I'll go home, and maybe we'll see each other tomorrow."

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"Stop apologizing. You always are," Chloe said, brushing a hand over his forearm. "Just don't let it happen again. There's only so much even I will put up with, Clark."

He nodded, but the look in his eyes still worried her. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but she would worry about that later.

She stood and bundled herself up, found her purse, and turned back to him. "I'll see you later."

"Be careful, Chloe. It really is coming down out there."

"I'll be all right. Hopefully," she said, and they both knew she wasn't just talking about the snow.

He hugged her quickly, and she started for the door as soon as he let her go.

"Merry Christmas, Chloe," he said.

She looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, Merry Christmas, Clark."

When she was safely in her car, she let out a deep sigh. Clark Kent had broken her heart so many times, she was becoming oddly numb to it. She suspected the same crack widened a little every time, but she was learning not to feel it.

Chloe gripped the wheel and closed her eyes tightly. _I told him we would forget it. I hope he has better luck_, she thought to herself.

Steadying her emotions, she turned the ignition and started picking her way through the snow and ice. Everything should have been calm and beautiful, but it didn't seem that way to her. Not anymore. "The boy really does know how to ruin an evening," she said to herself when she finally made it to the parking lot of her apartment building. "Among other things."

Finis


End file.
